


Terrors Don't Prey On Innocent Victims

by laugh_hard_run_fast_be_kind



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fire Emblem - Freeform, Gender Neutral Byleth, Golden Deer, I think it would be cool and by cool I mean painful for Byleth to remember past routes, I tried to be fair to each of the houses, POV First Person, This is short sweet and to the point, black eagles - Freeform, blue lions - Freeform, but overall happy resolution, i just had to get it out of my system, kinda angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22112941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laugh_hard_run_fast_be_kind/pseuds/laugh_hard_run_fast_be_kind
Summary: What if Byleth had flashbacks, dreams, to the past routes they took, the past choices they made?  Would it make a difference, or would it only cement how futile their efforts were when they could only ever help one house at a time?
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Kudos: 20





	Terrors Don't Prey On Innocent Victims

The first time I felt it, that pain in my heart, was when Dimitri reached out his hand to her. All I wanted to do was bring her to her feet, tell her it would all be okay, that we could make this work if we could just stop the killing, the violence, the ultimatums. But I knew when she looked at me that she wouldn’t take it. My body reacted before I could even think, ready to defend the king in front of me, but he was faster. I can’t forget what his lance sounded like as it cut through the air, and the silence as she drew her last breath. I stopped him from turning around, from going back to her, but the truth is I did that for me. I couldn’t have handled seeing her, even if he could.

The second time was worse. I remembered everything, and I thought I could do better. But I couldn’t do better for her, not without giving up on Claude when he needed me too. I had already failed Dimitri, I couldn’t be there for him like I was before. His madness shone through, a ruthlessness that was all too similar to Edelgard’s own. And I failed her again, when she was on her knees in front of me, tears slipping down her face. It was a punch to the gut as she smiled at me even with a blade pointed right at her. She wanted to walk with me, she said, to be on a path with me. Goddess I wish I could have done that for her. But that time it was my own sword that came down on her neck, the finality of it too painful to dwell on.

The third time nearly undid me. I thought I had finally gotten it right. I had been there from the beginning for her. I stayed by her side, I taught her, hurt with her, swore that I would protect her and all of the eagles. She had asked me once if I knew what I was getting into, if I would choose her when the time came. The answer had seemed so simple. And yet my feet moved of their own accord, my back turned on her when we were in the catacombs. Four simple words, _I’m the flame emperor_ , and suddenly it was as if my actions weren’t my own. The string of that betrayal and frustration with myself for not seeing it sooner, those feelings were too powerful. I could feel the loss in her voice as she tried to stand strong, tried to pretend it hadn’t broken her when I turned away. But I knew when my sword was at her throat and hers at mine five years later that it was all because of me.

This time, I won’t fail her. I chose El, I took the brunt of Rhea’s words as I turned from her, her screams as she lost the very thing she’d strived to create all those years ago with my mother. It didn't matter what I had done in the past, all that mattered was the woman I stood in front of, ready to protect. Her path is my path, whatever we find on it we’ll weather together. I won’t make a mistake, not again.

If I’m destined to fail each of them, then so be it, but I won’t let it be said that I never saved them.

**Author's Note:**

> Edelgard is absolutely my fav, though she definitely has some flaws. I played BE first which made the other routes significantly harder than they needed to be because I always knew what was coming. And then that sparked the idea of "Well I know what I did last and it makes it all the more difficult, I'm sure the same could be said of Byleth." and then thank god there were some incredible artist renditionings of the same idea. Check out bearsketches and arystocrat over there for two pieces that I came upon while writing this that definitely solidified the idea that I am not alone in wanting more feels from this masterpiece of a game.


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